Umdan City Zu'aan

History

When you talk about Umdan zu’aan, you have to mention industry. In this city established by metalworkers and miners, the work of one’s hands was valued above all. Chief among these skilled workers was one who walked both paths. His name was Mithitor, and he rose to prominence after demonstrating his ability to locate large veins of precious metals. After all, the Dannysral Boreal Shrublands were pregnant with riches, but locating them was never easy. After spearheading some of the most lucrative mining projects in the city, Mithitor took it upon himself to retire.

He soon took to the manufacturing of gates and gained great renown for it. Zu’aan from all over would come to Umdan to commission his work. Metalworkers specializing in tools and weapons began to venture into the making of gates, but none could match Mithitor’s skill level. It was his idea to fortify Umdan with massive city gates, an effort aimed at keeping the kin’toni at bay. The entire community, under the influence of the best miners and metalworkers in the city, decided to make him their sovereign. An age of opulence ensued. The city became a powerhouse of trade and peace prevailed.

He taught them his prospecting ways, almost as a returned favour for naming him their ruler. None were displeased with his rule and he basked in the adoration of his kind. The city gates in Umdan served as marketplaces. It wasn’t just precious metals and stones, tools and weapons that were traded here. Treasures and implements were exchanged not for items, materials or supplies, but for information. One of the neighbouring clans would send envoys with the latest results of their experiments on the kin'toni. He had heard all about what the kin'toni could do.

He gained valuable insight into their biology and their lifestyle, and he had a special interest in their weaknesses. Everyone in the city was convinced that this quest for knowledge was a noble cause. They were of the impression that all this was in the name of security, but little did they know how wrong they were. As great as Umdan was, Mithitor had loftier aspirations. His goal was create an empire. And even though his subjects were hardworking and skilled, he knew they couldn’t build him the city he envisioned. And so he sought to capture the kin’toni and make them slaves.

It was this lust for expansion and subjugation that would breed an atmosphere of terror and distrust. He made his plans known by way of a full-blown propaganda campaign. He instilled a great sense of patriotism in everyone, arguing that none could build a metallic empire but Umdan zu’aan. Many were persuaded, and soon he had metalworkers building cages and constraints for the kin’toni. All that was left was for them to be captured and contained; the materials and tools awaited the kin’toni workforce. Some were of the idea that Mithitor was criminally insane, and they determined to have him imprisoned for his dangerous ideas.

An uprising took place and indeed Mithitor was sent to spend his life in prison. As a result, there was a void in the power structure. And as the zu’aan of Umdan craved for strong leadership, many contenders stepped forward. A season of bloodshed followed as they all sought to take control of the city.

Psychology

Work ethic is the single most important thing to the zu’aan of Umdan. Laziness isn’t just taboo, its criminal. If you have nothing tangible to your name, you are nothing. If your hands are idle, they’re a liability. As a citizen here, your sole purpose is to work and create things that can be touched and seen. Those deserving of the highest esteem are those who work the hardest in this city. Those who work the hardest are those who work with the hardest materials. Such is Umdan logic. If the hands of the Umdan zu’an are not at work, their minds are labouring hard.

In the depths of relaxation and at the heights of recreation, they plot and plan the work that awaits them. At the tips of their tongues, the topic is toil, and donning their gear brings them great joy. The kin’toni are powerless in the face of a people that work hard. They dare not attack an industrious clan. This is what is taught to Umdan zu’aan from a young age. Mithitor believed the kin’toni were pitiless and purposeless creatures. It is only by putting them to work; good, constructive work, that they can be of use. To him, they are nothing but empty vessels whose destinies are to be determined by him.

Under his doctrine, the kin’toni need to be groomed before they could have anything to do with the army. They needed to be groomed as slaves before becoming what they were meant to be; super soldiers. It was a sheer insult for this clan to have their leader find them unfit for ‘the great work’. This is the most noble act, the very act that led to the coronation of Mithitor. All they wanted was to secure the city’s interests, so they could work in peace and progress. They saw themselves as the hands of their leader’s vision of a metallic empire.

Even the most insignificant of zu’ans deemed themselves as contributors to this vision. After his true intentions were known to all, a conspiracy surfaced. The seed of the uprising against Mithitor was one idea. A lowly carpenter named Ry'uak started asking questions. He wanted to know what would happen once the kin’toni finish the great work. What was to be of the slaves once their great work was complete; once this empire was built? Who is to say that the kin’toni won’t serve as carpenters and miners one day? These are questions Ry'uak asked his peers, questions that would spark a revolution.

The lowest ranking workers in the city began to gather. The talked about how they feared Mithitor’s plans. They recounted having nightmares of the kin’toni breaking free and killing them all. They established that their sole desire was to work, not take over the world. It became their mission to have Mithitor locked up in the very cages he had them build. Since they felt he was a zu’aan of many secrets, they had to prepare themselves to fight him. Ry'uak and his peers convinced Mithitor to let them raise an army right before his eyes. They told him the city needs warriors who would dedicate their lives to protecting it.

Mithitor obliged, seemingly without a trace of suspicion and unaware those were his last days as ‘emperor’.

Culture

Leisure is almost a foreign concept in Umdan. They entertain themselves by hosting working competitions. Carpenters will challenge each other to separate the best from the worst. Potters will be pitted up against each other, proving their pottery skills to determine the greatest of them all. Their folk songs contain instructions on how to build things.Their dances reveal working techniques. From their visual art to their performance art, work was the subject and the purpose was to impart knowledge of it. Their traditional attire is their uniform, everyone wears what they wear in their practice.

Even their language is laden with labour-related words and expressions. They have at least 74 different words to describe work. The most common greeting, 'roksiw tiwhuoy', is a phrase which means 'work is with you'. Females can only wed a working male. The rite of passage for males is an apprenticeship, which is usually facilitated by the boy's father or uncle. The rite of passage for females involves learning how to make the various uniforms for the different kinds of work. Only after these rites of passage can one be recognized as an adult zu'aan.

One gender plays their role and the other plays theirs, both in work and at home. These lines are not to be crossed under any circumstances. As a patriarchal culture, the females can never truly attain adult status. They're allowed to own little trinkets, not anything of significance. An adult without a trade or skill is no adult at all. They receive no respect from their agemates and even children see them as equals. You can be the oldest in the city and still be treated like a child for not having a trade. The working class is the elite here, and they are not to be questioned.

No male was permitted to look Mithitor's wives in the eye. Wherever his family went, those they encountered were compelled to kneel. None could criticize Mithitor and his family, even as they mistreated the commoners. There existed no accountability on their part, and to question or criticize them was disrespectful and borderline blasphemous. Everyone afforded Mithitor's family the same respect they afforded him, whether or not they worked. There emerged from Umdan a royal family of sorts, with Mithitor as its head and his relatives as members.

A system of classes became the norm. You had the nobility at the top. You had the miners and metalworkers, then all other craftsmen, and lastly the idle. There are those that dedicated their lives to working for the royals. They willingly left their homes and became permanent residents of the royal house. From weeding and ploughing the royal fields to cleaning and maintenance, there was no shortage of work for them. To these, serving Mithitor and his family was a great act of tribute and service to Umdan City. There were unspeakable ceremonies conducted behind the palace walls.

Some involved the kin'toni, others were sensual in nature. It is these rituals that led many to believe that Mithitor was bewitching the entire city, leading everyone into a hypnotic state. Everyone mindlessly worked in the interest of the city, or so they believed. There were taboos associated with working. You couldn't speak or stand a certain way while at your workstation. You were not to desecrate your place of work with certain activities. Work was elevated to a spiritual act, for it was the end all and be all of daily Umdan life.

Government

Mithitor interpretted the law in the city and he enforced it with his unquestionable authority. He’s the only one that could not stand as a witness in court. None but he was immune to prosecution. Since government is traditionally in the hands of the metalworkers and miners of the city, Mithitor inherited some helpers. In the old system, the miners had greater influence over the metalworkers, but both groups worked together to make decisions. Princes and princesses enjoyed the privilege of filling big seats in government, and many of them hold several positions.

Even the miners nearest to the royal family have been known to share a distant relation to Mithitor. The lowest among all workers of the sovereignty, powerful as they were, were chosen by the masses. These were usually metalworkers who proved their usefulness in the eyes of the community. None could question Mithitor but few could advise him. There were times when he would heed their advice, and there were times where he did as he pleased. He was unable to do anything wrong because even if it was wrong, it would be considered right.

Only he knew what was best for the city, for he demonstrated it when he built the city gates. This was an unwritten law etched in the minds of every zu’aan in the city; that was until the revolution erupted. The army, as a new phenomenon in the city, had no authority. Soldiers swore an oath of servitude to Their Majesties, not the residents of Umdan. The highest ranks in the army were reserved for royals and those the royals prefer. Among every general and all the soldiers; Mithitor ranked highest of them all. He is known as ‘the first soldier’, the first zu’an to perform an act in the interest of the city’s security.

His lips were loaded with legislation. He would speak, and a policy was created. He would shout, and persecution would take place. He would roar, and someone would be executed. At the end of the day, no one would be able to tell if he was the one that issued an order. His trusty miners and metalworkers were constantly sent to deliver messages on his behalf and attend events in his absence. Mithitor was the ceremonial leader in the city, but he was also the highest ranking worker. As a result, he would get the lion’s share of the proceeds from the mines.

And since there would probably be no mining expeditions without him, he took all the riches he could hoard. The wealth of the city was shared among all the hard-working zu’aan at the beginning of his reign. When the plan to expand the city and enslave the kin’toni came about, that changed. All the resources in Umdan were said to be for the construction of the empire. In reality, Mithitor and his top officials were lining their homes with minerals and precious stones. What once was a centre of trade now became a place of plunder. The city soldiers silently watched while they gained more power and momentum.

Umdan City was turning into a failed state, but Ry'uak the warrior carpenter wasn’t going to let that happen.

Military

Ry'uak's army was initially functional in purpose and nothing else. In time, however, it would turn out to be of symbolic significance. It had to fit in with the narrative of expansion for the sake of security, that's how Ry'uak would have Mithitor endorse it. Indeed the army received support from Mithitor in as far as symbolism was concerned. Military honours included the awarding of rare alloys and special uniforms featuring exotic furs and feathers. The highest ranking soldiers used the most lethal weapons fashioned from the strongest, most valuable materials.

A huge portion of the population, now aware of Mithitor's plans for the kin'toni, had faith in the army. Citizens of Umdan started to believe the army could build a metallic empire, but everyone knew destruction had to come first. The very first time Mithitor's prospecting efforts proved successful, myths were made about him. Many were convinced that he had a diplomatic alliance with the kin'toni. They could have sworn this was the source of his mining triumphs. Ry'uak, through his network of lower-level workers, spread this myth throughout the city and beyond.

Before anyone knew, the stage had been set for an uprising. Ry'uak gathered as many of his soldiers as he could and they stormed the palace grounds and arrested every royal. All his advisors and all that reported to him watched in awe as Mithitor was dragged into a cage like a beast. Ry'uak's army was elevated to government status but the legends of Mithitor and his kin'toni ties stood stronger than ever. They said he was waiting for the right time. They said he was testing them. They said it was all part of his greater plan. Even as he was chained like a slave, he was thought of as a king.

Even when all hope seemed to be lost, they awaited another Mithitor miracle. Ry'uak worked hard to assert his dominance. He did it with sheer military force. Taking quite a liking to archery, he developed some of the most sophisticated projectile launching technologies. Public displays of military might were the norm, Ry'uak wanted everyone to know what his army was capable of. Work was no longer the most important thing in Umdan, safety was. Ry'uak would do his best to make sure of that. Those without work were taken in by the army, trained in a trade, and taught how to fight.

The army was given an identity. Heraldry experts from came in to help Ry'uak give his forces an image. Umdan elders were brought in to share their knowledge of the city's history. With the right colours, images, and shapes, soldiers marched up and down the city with banners. They had shields, helmets, and belts with symbols on them. Ry'uak was now the pride of the city, and his army was something to marvel at. He won everyone's minds, he won everyone's hearts, but something was missing. The zu'an of Umdan were superstitious. They believed in things they could couldn't prove.

The practical leadership of the army would work for a while. Still, it wasn't long before everyone starting craving a life of deeper meaning.

Religion

They believed in the metaphysical power of precious stones and metals. Each was said to have unique healing and spiritually empowering properties. There were relics and talismans made from these rare materials and they were often used in rituals or on holy days. One religion was practiced in Umdan, and it had everything to do with what the city is all about; work and mining. Work was like a prayer. Mining was an act of worship. The idea that strong, shimmering, and rare materials of great value can be found below the darkness of the ground was sacred.

It is almost an analogy for Umdan's existence. Within the darkness of the world, Umdan remained tucked away like a hidden gem. The ground, as dark as it is, was the source of their salvation. There were underground shrines spread throughout the city; places where citizens would go to get closer to their source of life. Yes, even their cosmology maintained that all zu'aan originate from the ground. They buried their dead deep in the ground, with the hope that one day they'll turn into the most effulgent crystals. They do not mourn one's dying, for to die is to rest.

It is a sign that one has completed their work. They weep for one reason and one reason only; the cessation of work. The kin'toni were beings whose connection to the ground was severed. They were an abomination and an irredeemable race. They had no awareness of the sacredness of work and were thus a hindrance to spiritual progress. The kin'toni were enemies of the innermost essence of the zu'aan of Umdan. They were villains of consciousness. After a young zu'aan has gone through their rite of passage, they had to go into isolation.

Females would spend 3 days in a dark room of gemstones. Males would spend 5 days in a hut made from metal. A strict diet consisting of special shrubs was to be observed during this time. Mithitor never claimed to be the chosen one, but his kind believed the ground chose him. How else would he know how to locate precious metals and minerals? Why else would he be the only one able to do so? Mithitor never approved of this idea, aware as he was of it, but he never denied it either. When Ry'uak took to power, a new revelation enamoured the religious mind in Umdan.

The ground had bestowed the city with a new saviour, one unadulterated by unique prospecting abilities. His purpose was clear, his mission divine. He was safekeeper of the city and everything inside. The idle no longer stole, they gave themselves to the maintenance and construction of shrines. Mithitor's greedy cronies gave a majority of their wealth away. One and all wanted the best for Umdan, and it was clear from how serviceable they were.

The age of materialism had passed. All that mattered in Umdan now was safety and creating an environment suitable for work.

It was a time of loftier ideals, it was a period of perpetual peace. Mithitor had fallen from his seat, no longer was there deceit. The entire population wanted Ry'uak to rule forever, but quite unfortunately, that was impossible.

Miscellany

Nearby Groups

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Umdan City Zu'aan

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